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Friday, 23 February 2018

Dreamy Sunset // Red & Gold Eyeshadow Tutorial

Friday, 23 February 2018

Hold up.. an ACTUAL beauty post?! Not another inspirational rant on self-improvement?

That's right.. I know, it's been absolutely ages since I last did any kind of make-up review/tutorial/appreciation post, but after I did my make-up so damn well for a recent special occasion I decided I must share it with you all.

Of course, I would like to again clarify that I'm no expert and don't claim to be. In fact, my make-up is usually average at best, but I suppose I've improved a lot over the last few years and learned a few new tricks along the way.

This look just kind of evolved as it went along. The only thing I had in mind was using colours like reds/golds/peaches on the eyes, and tried to use my memory of Youtube beauty guru tutorials on how to correctly apply it. However, I will try to outline what I did step-by-step, so that you can achieve this same dreamy look, kinda resembling a beautiful sunset!. I'd say these shades are the most flattering on blue eyes, but I'm sure they'd look awesome on any eye colour!

Without further ado, let's get started 💞

Time: 1-2 hours

Difficulty: Intermediate

Occasion: Formal, Party

P A R T O N E : T H E F A C E

First
things first, we want a nice clean base to apply our make-up. Seems obvious, I
know, but it’s one of the simple things you can do to prepare for a full face
of heavy slap, and really makes a difference in the overall appearance and
application process.

After
I cleansed and moisturised, I used a little blob of Barry M's Flawless Original primer, and applied it
all over my face (with my hands) in circular motions. Next, for the base of my
make-up, i.e the foundation, I used Revlon Photoready Airbrush Effect in 001 Ivory, and this P.S PRO Foundation Brush to apply it as,
unfortunately, my beauty blender was chewed to bits by a sneaky Siberian husky!
The brush is fantastic though, especially as it’s very affordable being from
the Primark range. I glide the foundation on with the brush then lightly dab it
to blend, just as I would with a beauty blender or make-up sponge.

I
like to follow this step immediately with my liquid highlighter, L'Oreal True Match Highlight in 301 Icy Glow, placing 3 dots
on the cheekbones, under and above the eyebrows, above the Cupid’s bow, and in
the centre of the bottom lip. I dabbed this again with the same brush I used
for the foundation, but any sponge would do.

Don't be too frightened by what you see here! This is just my face, but I thought it would probably be extremely helpful to get an idea of exactly where I'm placing the products. For reference, the yellow circles refer to concealer, the white/peachy circles are where I'd place my highlighter, and obviously, the brown dots are where the contour should be.
Next
up is the concealer. This one is a very bright yellow to counteract those pesky
dark circles, and boy do I have those. Sadly I think it’s hereditary due to my
thin skin under the eyes, so they’re never quite gone completely!

I
applied my BarryM Flawless Colour Correcting Wand (for light to medium skin tones) underneath the eyes (using little dots first, then
blending outwards), on the outer corners of my nostrils (to combat redness) and
over any acne scars/spots, usually on my forehead or cheeks. I like to use my
fingers (clean, of course) to dab the concealer into my skin, but a concealer
brush would work fine too.

I’m
still very much a beginner when it comes to ‘baking’, and if you’re a make-up
noobie that term probably sounds incredibly intimidating. But it’s basically
done to allow the concealer and foundation to ‘set’ and stay in place all day.
The usual product for this that people would use is translucent face powder,
which I unfortunately do not own and instead substituted for my LACURA Beauty Compact Powder in 10 Transparent. I apply this under the eye area with a powder brush (I used RealTechniques buffing brush), again
pressing it gently against the skin.

But
STOP right there! We are not going to blend it out or sweep it away just yet.
It probably looks a little cakey and scary, but trust me - the longer it’s left
the better the make up will stick. We’ll move onto our eyebrows whilst we let
the baking do its thing.

P A R T T W O : T H E E Y E S

The eyes are probably my favourite part of a make-up routine, whilst also being the
most risky and fear-inducing. It can either go horribly right or wrong,
especially when it comes to your eyebrows. I’ve definitely stepped up my
routine since my last brow tutorial, and for the most part I’m usually very happy
with the way they turn out!

Using NYX Tame&Frame Tinted Brow Pomade in 03 Brunette, I take RealTechnique's Detailer Brush and line the top and
bottom of my brows as closely to the natural hairline as possible. I find that
I do have to extend them out a little but further or higher sometimes, but
that’s just because I have the worlds most annoying uneven eyebrows! Trying to make
them match in thickness is a challenge in itself.

I
apply a little more of the pomade over and under the arch area, and use a
spoolie brush with a bit of Vaseline (or hairspray works too) and brush the
eyebrows from the start so that they begin to blend with the lines I have
drawn. It’s best not to strive for perfection with eyebrows as you’ll very
rarely get it, so refrain from overdoing it and step away from the mirror once
you’re done.

*(Psst! I
also sometimes use my George Tamer Brow Cream because of the handy little brush,
and sometimes mix between the shades depending on whether I want darker or
lighter eyebrows)

Now
that your eyebrows are complete, it’s safe to gently buff away the remaining
powder you left baking on your face, and move onto the eyeshadow.

Using
a mixture of the shades from the Makeup Revolution London pallets (Love the Revolution and Revolution Flawless Ultra Eyeshadow), and Too Faced Boudoir Eyes, I blended the shades to create a dramatic, romantic look. To prime my eyes, I used '1 Paper' from the Flawless MRL palette as a base, applying all over the lid using a flat brush (this one was part of a No7 beauty gift set I received aaages ago). Then, I lightly patted the shades '19 Universal' and '27 Red Night', on the outer corner of my eye using the GWA Petite Crease brush, and following with the red shade from the other 'Love the Revolution' palette towards the centre. On the outer crease of my eye, I then switched to '29 Burgandy Nights' using the GWA Tapered Blending brush to blend into the crease and extending it
outwards slightly from where the outer corner of the eye ends (basically, where
you would apply winged eyeliner).

Blend the colours all together at the top of the lid with a light, nude brown ('6 Unlimited' or '3 Buff'') holding the blending brush ever so lightly between your fingers.

The
centre of the eye is where you get to have all the fun. Using the brightest
gold shades you have, dab gently in the middle of the eyelid with a flat brush once again. It sometimes helps to dip the brush into a little bit of clean
water first, to really bring out the colour in the shadow and make it look more
pigmented.

Dab the golds in the tear ducts of the eye, and underneath the arch of the eyebrow.

I
used a combination of '5 Angel' and the neutral, gold shade from Love The Revolution. Then, for a glittery effect, topped it up with 'Satin Sheets' from the Classic range in Boudoir Eyes. From the container, it looks pink, but on the skin it comes
out beautifully shimmery, golden and metallic.

If you want your eyes to look even more dramatic, as I did, you can also take an angled brush (like the opposite end of my No7 tool) and gently glide it under the bottom lashline, extending it upwards to the brow. This gives an intense smokey eyed look, which I think really pulls it altogether, despite looking a little like you have an infection!

I
usually avoid wearing eyeliner in day-to-day life, mainly for the fact that I
sometimes (always) overdo it in a desperate attempt to fix my terrible job of
drawing the wing, or simply because I end up resembling a hard-faced drag
queen. Occasionally I manage to pull it off, though, and I always feel it’s
absolutely necessary when using false lashes.

It’s
important to apply a little mascara to your top lashes before applying your
falsies, not only to curl and lift your lashes for easier application, but also
to blend your natural lashes with the fake ones. I apply two coats of Lancôme Grandiose mascara in 01 Noir - Medium and allow to dry, then apply the supplied lash adhesive along the strip of Eyelure Luxe Baroque minxeffect lashes and leave for 1-2 minutes to get tacky. I also trimmed these down
a little as they were wayyy too long for my natural eye shape.

Once
they’re dry, I stare down into a mirror and apply the lashes as close to the
natural lash line as possible. Sometimes this takes a couple of retries to get
just right, and my left eye is definitely more awkward (due to my astigmatism
in the right eye) but we get there eventually!

If
need be, I’ll press the eyelid down onto the lash strip to hide any tracks, and
hold a pair of tweezers against the lash strip for a few seconds to ensure they stay in
place. I’ll apply another coat of mascara on top of the false lashes, and a few
coats onto the bottom ones too.

By
now, you may need to top up your eyeshadow and eyeliner a little after
reapplying your lashes over and over - I know I did. I also applied concealer
around the eyes once more to clean up any shadow residue, and under and over
the eyebrows to give them more definition and shape.

P A R T T H R E E : F I N I S H I N G T O U C H E S

The
final step of this make-up routine involves us paying attention to the face
once more - particularly through contour and highlight. I hadn’t forgot - don’t
panic!

Using Too Faced Cocoa Contour Chiseled To Perfection, I applied Dark Cocoa using the Contour Buki Brush provided under the cheekbones, around the forehead
and jawline, and down the sides of the nose to accentuate my cheekbones and
soften any harsh angles. I would usually use Medium Cocoa for everyday use, but Dark is great for the nighttime or when you have a tan. Using the shade Light Cocoa (which is almost gone from my palette) I use the large RealTechniques powder brush to apply underneath the eyes, underneath the
cheekbones, in the centre of the forehead and chin, and down the centre of the
nose. This will bring attention to the areas where we want attention, and
create a more flattering look combined with the shadowing effect of the
contour.

Next,
using the fabulously glittery shade Pop of Light, use the same powder brush and sweep it just above
the cheekbones and underneath the eyebrow arch.

Easily
my second favourite part of applying make-up is going extra with the
highlighter. Using the adorable Unicorns Heart highlighter, I take the angled Chanel brush
and gently sweep it over the cheekbones where we previously applied the Cocoa Contour, in the centre of the forehead, down the centre of the nose and under
and over the brow arch. To give it a little more oomph, I also dab my finger
into the highlight and gently press on the temples and Cupid’s bow - I find
this helps the highlighter to last for much longer.

Once
that’s finished, I spritz my face with a slight mist of hairspray (not too
close, we don’t want it to be sticky!) to set the make up and keep it there all
day. I really need to invest in a good setting spray, but I’ve been using this
trick for years and it hasn’t failed me yet.

And
voila! You’re complete and ready to be wowed by your own reflection. Seriously, after I
did this, I was taken aback every time I looked in a mirror for the rest of the
night, and even thought I had already applied a filter when I switched on the
camera on my phone!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it wasn’t too complicated. Obviously
it’s not ideal for a go-to or natural make-up routine, but it’s perfect for a
night out or special occasion.

If
you’d like to see a more natural, everyday make up look that I use, let me know
and I’d love to post one!